A Pembroke Christmas

Choral conductor Anna Lapwood lifts Christmas spirits with an album comprising music composed by choristers from Pembroke College and 21st-century works that collectively communicate a profoundly moving message of hope. Its programme shaped by the virtual realities of student life during the pandemic and personal reflections on what truly matters in life, A Pembroke Christmas contains three pieces by her Girls’ Choir, a vivacious setting of the 16th-century hymn Gaudete irresistible among them. Other highlights include Halcyon Days by Melissa Dunphy, one of Lapwood’s lockdown discoveries, Lucy Walker’s sublime My Heart, O God and Roderick Williams’ O Adonai, serving to enhance a tracklist crammed with fine things. Something special clearly happened during the recording sessions, sparked perhaps by the alchemy of music made by friends. The results are exquisitely beautiful and utterly enchanting.